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Covers counting carbohydrates for people with type 2 diabetes who do not take insulin. Explains carb counting to manage blood sugar levels. Also explains how to count them.

Diabetes: Counting Carbs if You Don't Use Insulin

Introduction

Carbohydrate
counting is a skill that can help you plan your diet to manage
type 2 diabetes and control your blood sugar. This
technique helps you determine the amount of sugar and starch (carbohydrate) in
the foods you eat so you can spread carbohydrate throughout the day, preventing
high blood sugar after meals. Carbohydrate counting gives you the flexibility
to eat what you want and increases your sense of control and confidence in
managing your diabetes.

Eating standard portions of
carbohydrate foods. Each
serving size or standard portion contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate. It might be helpful to measure and weigh your food when you are
first learning what makes up a standard portion.

Eating standard portions of
foods that contain protein. Foods that contain protein
(meat and cheese) are an important part of a balanced
diet.

Eating less saturated fat and trans fat. A balanced diet includes healthy fat. Talk with a registered dietitian about how much fat you
need in your diet.

Other helpful suggestions

Here are some other
suggestions that will help you count carbohydrate:

Check your
blood sugar level. If you do this before and 1 to 2 hours after eating, you will be
able to see how food affects your blood sugar level.

Use a food record(What is a PDF document?) to keep track of
what you eat and your blood sugar results. At each regular
visit with your dietitian or certified diabetes educator, or whenever
you think your meal plan needs adjusting, you can review your
food record.

Get more help. The American Diabetes Association offers
booklets to help people learn how to count carbohydrate, measure and weigh
food, and read food labels. Also, you
will need to talk with a registered dietitian or a certified diabetes
educator to build a plan that fits your needs.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.